Gabriel: Bears-Vikings Review
By Greg Gabriel--
(CBS) I know, I know. It's beginning to sound like a broken record: The 2015 Chicago Bears are now 2-5 and easily could be 4-3.
Why aren't they 4-3? Because plain and simple they just aren't good enough.
I've stated on numerous occasions this season with the roster the Bears currently have, they have to be just about perfect in order to win a game. The last two games have been perfect demonstrations of that thought. The team has been in position to win, but they haven't been able to close it out.
Two weeks ago in Detroit, the Chicago coaching staff was far too conservative in overtime, and when the Bears couldn't move the ball, the defense came up short in an eventual 37-34 loss. On Sunday at Soldier Field, the defense played strong football for three-and-a-half quarters before giving up a number of big plays to the Vikings, costing the Bears another chance at a win in a last-second 23-20 loss.
It's no secret that the Bears' offense has needed to finish drives more consistently. In the first six games, there were too many red-zone opportunities in which Chicago ended up with three points instead of seven. We also knew the Bears needed to find a more consistent passing game. My thinking was that with receiver Alshon Jeffery healthy, quarterback Jay Cutler had a viable NFL target in which to help the passing game.
On defense, the Bears needed to develop a better pass rush, both from the inside and the outside. They not only needed sacks but also consistent pressure. Creating pressure has a way in making quarterbacks deliver poor throws, which in turn creates interceptions.
On Sunday, the Bears came up short in all those areas.
On their opening second-half drive, the Bears moved the ball 74 yards and used up more than than six minutes of clock but still couldn't finish the drive, getting only three points for their effort. In hindsight, that may well have been the difference in the game.
On the positive side, when the Bears needed seven points on a fourth-quarter possession with the game tied at 13, they did a good job finishing the drive, with the highlight being Cutler's four-yard touchdown run in which he looked more like a running back than a quarterback.
On defense, the Bears' pass rush was able to put considerably more pressure on the quarterback but came away with only one sack. The pass rush kept Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater off balance, and he threw one interception. Still, he came up with three huge completions when they were needed in the fourth quarter.
As big as those completions were, two could have/should have been interceptions, but Kyle Fuller and Antrel Rolle didn't play the ball in the air well. That has been the story of the Bears season. They have come up just short.
Going into the season, I felt that this Bears team would win seven or perhaps eight games. I was wrong.
Looking at the talent, or lack thereof, this team will probably win no more than six games, if that. Yes, the Bears are well-coached and play hard, but there just aren't enough quality players on this team to win on any kind of consistent basis. They will need at least one more strong draft and a few quality free-agent signings to become a team that is capable of competing.
Trade deadline
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon. Will the Bears make any deals?
Football isn't like baseball or hockey, sports in which there are numerous trade deadline deals. Throughout the league, there will only be a handful of deals, if that. The reason is teams don't want to give up coveted draft picks, and it takes too long for an acquired player to make any kind of difference. Typically, it's at least two or three weeks for the player to get properly acclimated to the new schemes he's playing in.
There have been numerous rumors that Bears running back Matt Forte could be moved. Personally, I feel these rumors are more wishful thinking of clubs around the league trying to take advantage of a young general manager in Ryan Pace. The value for Forte is a second-round or high third-round pick, given his production.
Most likely, no team would be willing to part with more than a sixth. Given that Forte suffered an undisclosed knee injury Sunday, the slight chance of a trade is now gone.
The only deal that I could possible see happen is linebacker Willie Young getting dealt to team that runs a 4-3 defensive scheme. Young played little Sunday and may have some value in the trade market. That value though would be no more than a sixth-round pick. Given that it doesn't look like Young is a part of the Bears' future, a deal could take place.
Greg Gabriel is a former NFL talent evaluator who is an on-air contributor for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @greggabe.
